Container for carrying bottles or the like

ABSTRACT

A container for carrying bottles or the like made from a single thin flat plastic sheet that is deformed outwardly to provide pockets and folded together along a common inverted V-shaped central portion so that the pockets are on opposite sides of panels which form the carrying handles. The opposed side edges of the pockets have tabs and slits to provide locking members and the upper ends of the receiving pockets fold downwardly to form partition flaps which separate the bottles. The tubular wall portions of the pockets are reinforced by planar panel surfaces on which advertising is displayed.

United States Patent 2.337, I97 12/1943 Holy William F. Stembridge P. 0. Box 756, East Point, Ga. 30344 803,l90

Feb. 28, 1969 Aug. 3, 1971 inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented CONTAINER FOR CARRYING BOTTLES OR THE LIKE 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 220/102 Int. Cl. 865d 75/00 Field of Search 220/102,

108, l l l, 1 l3, 1 I4, 116, DIG. l5; 229/2.5; 206/65 E Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 220/ l l l 2,998,899 9/ 1961 Telesca 220/102 3,148,103 9/1964 Gallagher 229/2.5 X 3,498,523 3/1970 Stembridge et al. 220/102 X Pn'mary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-James R. Garrett Attorney-Newton, Hopkins & Ormsby ABSTRACT: A container for carrying bottles or the like made from a single thin flat plastic sheet that is deformed outwardly to provide pockets and folded together along a common inverted V-shaped central portion so that the pockets are on opposite sides of panels which form the carrying handles. The opposed side edges of the pockets have tabs and slits to provide locking members and the upper ends of the receiving pockets fold downwardly to form partition flaps which separate the bottles. The tubular wall portions of the pockets are reinforced by planar panel surfaces on which advertising is displayed.

PATENTEUAUB 319m 3596196 INVENTOR WILLIAM F. STEMBRIDGE CONTAINER FOR CARRYING BOTTLES OR'THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION- Field of the Invention This invention relates to containers forcarrying bottles and the like and is more particularly concerned with a thin-walled plastic container or carton for supporting a plurality of bottles of the type which contain soft drinks or beer. Y

2. Prior Art In the past, containers of the general type here disclosed have been formed of paper and, when such paper containers receive the bottles, they are known in the trade as six-packs." Usually four six-packs"'are received in a wooden crate or in a corrugated fiberboard box for transportation from a bottling plant to a retailer.

Such paper containers, especially when used for containing soft drinks in returnable bottles, are reused approximately three times by a bottling company. By the third use, the paper containers are usually so torn as to be incapable of further use. Of course, such paper containers when subjected to rain, snow and severe weather conditions, usually disintegrate. The forming method of the paper containers by folding the flat surfaces yielded rectangular cavities for receiving cylindrical bottleswhich allowed movement of the bottles yielding more fr'eedom of movement than was necessary or desired. Nevertheless, due

to the inexpensive nature of these paper containers, the used I such paper containers has been quite widespread. Some prior art containers lack appropriate fla't advertising space and similar containers lack structural rigidity and'would tend to become disassembled under tortial 'loads applied during" handling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION" It is afurtherobject of this invention to provide an 'improved'method of forming'and constructing containers of this type.

These and other problems and disadvantages associated with the prior art are overcome by the invention disclosed herein by providing a durable, thin-walled, yet rigid plastic container with a convenient advertising area on the structure which both provides a flat area for printing and adds structural Y rigidity to the container. The container disclosed'alsoovercomes the possibility of disengagement of the fastening means mentioned flat surface paper folding methods. In addition, the 1 container formed by said method will have the advantages as described above. This method provides for forming such a container from a flat plastic sheet which is deformed -out-' Other objects; features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when-taken in'iconjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS I FIG: 1 in an extended condition such that it may be nested with other like containers;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIGI l in the assembled condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS Referring now in detail to the embodiments chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, it being understood that in its broader aspects the present invention is not limited to the exact details herein depicted, the container of the'present invention is formed, and from a unitary thin flat sheet of' thermoplastic material which is deformed by the application'of heat and pressureto provide'a pair of pocket portions,*denoted generally by numerals l0 and 1 1, respectively.

Whileany'number'of plastic materials could be used, we selected to use either polyethylene or polystyrene sheets.

-Th'e pockets portions 10"and"1l, as initially formed, are spaced from each' other by a rectangular central hinge member or portion 12 and lie side by side as shown'in FIG. 2. Iri'the same operation which formed the pockets l0 and 11, the central hinge portion 12 is reversely bent to provide a central-common edge 13 and a pairof juxtaposed downwardly diverging central walls 14 and 15. Thus, an inverted V-shaped central portion 12 is formed.

The pockets 10and11 include a pair of bottoms l6 and 17 which, when the container is in its extended position, as shown in FIG. 2,-are disposed in spaced essentially parallel relationship. Score lines 18 and 19, which are disposed parallel to the common edge 13 and extend across and define respectively the extremities'of 'pockets'10 and 11, form the common bounwardly to form opposed pockets and is folded tog'etheralong a 1 inserted in a locking relationship..l-landholes in thesepanels form a handle by means of which the container may be transported. The upper ends of the receiving pockets are cut to form individual flaps which fold downwardly toformparti tions for separating the bottles.,The tubular outer wall por- 1 tions of the pockets are provided with a surface or display panel for receiving advertising and providing'a stiffening reinforcement for the outer walls.

Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to prov vide a plastic container and a method of forming a container for receiving bottles and the like, the container-being inexpen sive and yet relatively durable and being capable of-repeated.

dary between central member 14 and bottom 16, and between central member 15 and bottom 17.

Whenthe container is folded from its extended position the lower portion of the pockets 10 and 11 extend upwardly from the bottoms l6 and 17, and are fluted to define a plurality of tubular sections 20a, 20b, 20c, 21d, 21b, and 210 are respectively semicylindrical and are disposed along parallel vertical axes which are in planes parallel to and outwardly of the central portion of the-container on opposite sides of the centerline of the'container when the container is righted and are in a common plane offset downwardly from the upper plane of the container when the container is in its extended position.

The center tubular or cylindrical wall portion 20b has vertical edges which are joined respectively to the inner edges of the outer wall portions 20a and 20c along common vertical edges 22a and 225'. In like manner, the wall portions 21a and Zlb'and 2lc are provided with vertical edges 23a and 23b. The vertical edges 22a and 22b-form the boundaries between the wall portions 20a, 20b, and 20c while the vertical edges 23a and 23b form the boundaries between the wall portions 21a,

2112', and 21c.

use for receiving advertising and for providing a container'of The'central portions of the tubular walls are deformed to form planar panels 38 and 29which panels are disposed in a plane parallel to a plane tangent to the tubular wall portions 20a, 20b, and 20c; and 21a, 21b, and 21c respectively.

End 'panels 40a and 40b are vertically coextensive with planar panel 38 and join the ends of planar panel 38 to the tubular'walls 20a and 20c respectively. The said end panels merge tangentially with the said end tubular walls, End panels 41a and 41b are vertically coextensive with planarpanel 39 and join the ends of planar panel 39 to end tubular walls 21a and 21c respectively. The said end panels merge tangentially with the said end tubular walls.

Horizontal gussets 46a, 46b, 46c and 46d join the upper edge of panel 38 to sidewall 40a and wall 24a and tubular wall 20a; tubular walls 20a, 20b, and vertical edge 22a; tubular walls 20b, 20c, vertical edge 22b; and end wall 24b, tubular wall 20 and to sidewall 40b respectively. Horizontal gussets 48a, 48b, 48c, and 48d join the lower edge of panel 38 to the lower parts of the similarly numbered side and tubular walls. Horizontal gussets 47a, 47b, 47c, and 47d, and 49a, 49b, 49c, and 49d have the same relationship to panel 39 and 41a, 24b tubular walls 21b, 21c; vertical edge 23b and end wall 25b tubular wall 21c and sidewall 41b.

The end walls 24a and 25a lie in a common plane while the end walls 24b and 25b lie in a common plane, these planes being parallel to each other and perpendicular to bottoms 16 and 17. When the container is righted from its extended position to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the inner edges of walls 24b and 25b are likewise rotated toward each other.

These inner edges of walls 24a and 24b are provided with tabs 42a, 42b, 42c and 43a, 43b and 430 respectively. The inner edges of walls 250 and 25b are provided with slits 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, and 45a, 45b, 45c, and 45d respectively. The said tabs have a base portion equal to or smaller in width than that of said slits and further have a triangular or trapezoidal crown diminishing toward its extremity mounted on the base which is wider on its edge common to the base than the said slits. The said tabs are forced into the slits when the carton is folded into the upright position as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. The tabs tapered crowns are forced into the slits and because of the resiliency of the material the crown is forced through the slit; the crowns larger base causing a locking relationship thus joining the wall edges 24a and 24b with 250 and 25b respectively.

The lower ends of the carrying panels 32 and 33, when the pockets 10 and 11 are initially formed, are connected to the outwardly and downwardly sloping tops which cover pockets l and 11. After being formed, these tops are cut to provide openings through which the bottles (FIG. 3) may be inserted into the pockets and 11. These cuts conform generally to the shape of the tubular walls 20a, 20b, 200, 21a, 21b, and 210 and each commences at the bottom edge portion of its associated carrying panel 32 and 33 and curves outwardly in an arcuate path and then inwardly to terminate again at the lower edge of panel 32 and 33, in spaced relationship to the commencement of the cut. It is therefore seen that a plurality of individual elliptically shaped flaps 35a, 35b, 350, 36a, 36b and 360, corresponding to the tubular walls 20a, 20b, 200, 21a, 21b, and 21c respectively are provided.

These flaps 35a, 35b, 350, 36a, 36b and 36c are hingedly secured to the carrying panels 33 and 32 and yieldably fold downwardly along fold lines as the bottles are inserted into the chambers of wall portions 20a, 20b, 20c, 21a, 21b and 210. Therefore, the flaps 35a, 35b, 350, 36a, 36b, and 36c form spacers, separators or partitions which resiliently urge the bottles outwardly against the inner surfaces of the wall portions 20a, 20b, 200, 21a, 21b, and 210.

As the bottles approach being fully inserted in the pockets 10 and 11, the upwardly converging central walls 14 and acting as camming surfaces deflect the bottom portions of the bottles outwardly and also cooperate with the flaps 35a, 35b, 350, 36a, 36b, and 360 in spacing the bottles in pocket 10 from the bottle in pocket 11, the flaps receiving the upper portions of the bottles and the central walls 14 and 15 receiving the lower portions thereof.

Since the flaps 35a, 35b, and 350 and flaps 36a, 35b, and 361: are side by side and yet spaced from each other, there remains, as the tops of pockets 10 and 11, certain gussets 37a, 37b, 371;; 38a, 38b, 38c, and 38d, which reinforce the pockets 10 and 11. The outer or end gussets-37a, 37d, 38a, 38d are at the comers of the outer bottle openings and extend from the upper edges of the ends walls 24a, 24b, 25a and 25b to the bottom edges of panels 32 and'33 so as to reinforce the ends of the container. The central gussets 37b, 37c, 38b and 38c project outwardly from the lower edge of the panels 32 and 33 to the upper ends of the edges 22a, 22b, 23a, 34b, respectively. These central gussets arrest appreciable outward movement of the walls a, 20b, 20c, 21a, 21b, and'21c. Q

In the embodiment here illustrated, hand-carrying holes such as holes 34 and 134 are provided in panels 32 and 33. It is desirable, however, that the panels 32 and 33 not form the sole carrying edges. Hence, tabs, such as tabs 50 and 150, are projected into the handle opening from one of the panels and is folded over the other associated panel.

The container, is initially formed, and is die cut, in an extended position, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In such a position, it

may be nested with additional containers so as to occupy a relatively small space. Thus, the containers are quite economical for shipping and storing.

When it is desired to right a container to the position illustrated in FIG. 1, it is only necessary to fold the two halves together, folding about the fold lines 18 and 19, and urge the tabs 42a, 42b, 42c, 42d and 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d, into the slits 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, sufficiently for the tabs to snap into their locked juxtaposition. In such a position, the container is now ready for use. The tops of the pockets l0 and 11 appear to be planar in that, in their normal positions, the flaps 35a, 35b, 350 36a, 36b, and 36c are coplanar with the gussets 37a, 37b, 37c, 370, 38a, 38b, 38c, and 38d. These flaps are readily deformed downwardly by the insertion of bottles in the vertical chambers of pockets 10 and 11. When the flaps are swung downwardly, they form partitions and cooperate with the central walls 14 and 15 in dividing the container into compartments and preventing the bottles on one side of the container. In like manner, the concave wall portions adjacent to the vertical edges 22a, 22b, 23a and 23b prevent movement of the bottles on one side toward each other.'It is therefore seen that the characteristic clanking of the bottles together is eliminated utilizing the container of the present invention. It can also be seen that the planar panel yields a strongercontainer and provides advertisement surface. Further, the locking tabs provide a container which will not disassemble under torsional loads.

It will be understood that the container constructed by the method of the present invention, while being relatively inexpensive, nevertheless is quite durable and may be used many times, prior to being discarded.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiments and methods here chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What I Claim as Invention is:

1. In a container for supporting bottles or the like composed of a unitary sheet of plastic and including a pair of laterally deformed walls defining pockets, said pockets having wall portions defining chambers for respectively receiving said bottles or the like, said wall portions being vertically fluted and defining a plurality of juxtaposed vertically extending semicylindrical members connected together along vertical edges thereof, a bottom for each of said pockets for pivotal movement relative to each other, said pockets being open at their upper ends, a pair of upstanding panels secured by their lower portions respectively to the innennost edges of the top end structure of said pockets, the improvement comprising:

a first planar panel mounted in a plane parallel to a plane tangentially common to the semicylindrical members, said first planar panel extending beyond the centers of the outermost semicylindrical members to a line formed by the intersection of said first planar panel and-a plane tangent to each of the endmost semicylindrical members at a 'point removed approximately from the point of tangency of the plane parallel to said first planar panel,

are substantially fiat and are of a size adapted to carry advertising matter.

4. The container defined in claim 1, further characterized V by a means including a vertical edge on a said second planar panel of one said pockets having tabs extending therefrom and a means includinga vertical edge on a said second planar panel of another of said pockets of said container having slits therein receiving said tabs in a locking relationship.

5. The container defined in claim 4 wherein each tab comprises a base extending from the panel vertical edge of a constant vertical width equal to or slightly smaller than the vertical height of the panel slit, and a trapezoidal crown attached to the free edge of said base and having a greater width at the edge attached to the base and a width smaller than that of the base at the its free edge. 

1. In a container for supporting bottles or the like composed of a unitary sheet of plastic and including a pair of laterally deformed walls defining pockets, said pockets having wall portions defining chambers for respectively receiving said bottles or the like, said wall portions being vertically fluted and defining a plurality of juxtaposed vertically extending semicylindrical members connected together along vertical edges thereof, a bottom for each of said pockets for pivotal movement relative to each other, said pockets being open at their upper ends, a pair of upstanding panels secured by their lower portions respectively to the innermost edges of the top end structure of said pockets, the improvement comprising: a first planar panel mounted in a plane parallel to a plane tangentially common to the semicylindrical members, said first planar panel extending beyond the centers of the outermost semicylindrical members to a line formed by the intersection of said first planar panel and a plane tangent to each of the endmost semicylindrical members at a point removed approximately 90* from the point of tangency of the plane parallel to said first planar panel, a second planar panel extending from each end of said first planar panel, vertically coextensive with said first planar panel and merging tangentially with the end semicylindrical members and gussets extending from the axially innermost ends of said semicylindrical members to the upper and lower edges of said planar panels.
 2. The container defined in claim 1 wherein the first planar panel is coincident with a plane tangentially common to the cylindrical wall portions.
 3. The container of claim 1 in which the upstanding panels are substantially flat and are of a size adapted to carry advertising matter.
 4. The container defined in claim 1, further characterized by a means including a vertical edge on a said second planar panel of one said pockets having tabs extending therefrom and a means including a vertical edge on a said second planar panel of another of said pockets of said container having slits therein receiving said tabs in a locking relationship.
 5. The container defined in claim 4 wherein each tab comprises a base extending from the panel vertical edge of a constant vertical width equal to or slightly smaller than the vertical height of the panel slit, and a trapezoidal crown attached to the free edge of said base and having a greater width at the edge attached to the base and a width smaller than that Of the base at the its free edge. 